The invention refers to a pair of pliers or tongs for crimping onto electrical conductors cable shoes which have a contact portion and an affixing or crimping portion open toward the contact portion. The contact portion of a cable shoe serves for establishing electrical contact with some other electrical contact member, and the affixing portion serves for establishing electrical and mechanical connection with the end portion of an electrical conductor on which the cable shoe is slipped on. The contact portion may have a widely varying shape, but the affixing portion has always substantially the shape of a tube or barrel into which said end portion of a conductor, with at least partially stripped-off insulation, can be inserted. The cable shoe is affixed to the conductor by crimping of the affixing portion.
Crimping pliers or tongs for cable shoes have conventionally a pair of reciprocating jaws operable by a pair of handles and carrying a plurality of crimping die members or elements. A first jaw and a first handle may be joined to define an elongated, rigid tool body to which the second jaw is pivoted. The second jaw may have beyond its pivot point a rear extension where it is pivotally connected with the second handle. A stop or locator and retainer means for an inserted cable shoe can be mounted along one side face of one jaw adjacent one or more die members.
A cable shoe, when correctly inserted into the tool, strikes or abuts, e.g. by the end of the crimping portion adjacent the contact portion, with said means. Such a solution has however the disadvantage of not taking into account the lengthening of the crimping portion which occurs upon crimping, especially when the crimping portion is covered by a sleeve of insulating plastics.